Is this a new election campaign, or what?
Former Vice-President of the USA Albert Gore harshely criticizes President Bush for his intention to wage war against Iraq at any price. Gore thinks such a desire for war is in favor of the ultra rightists and can considerably mar the image of the USA all over the world and undermine the principles of international law. Gore gave a speech in San Francisco and said that America had won great support and sympathy all over the world after 9/11; however, it wasted this all and replaced it with fear, anxiety, and vagueness within a year. The AP quotes Al Gore as saying that it’s not a question of what terrorists are going to do, it’s the question of our further activities.

Gore blamed Bush for repudiation of the new world order, which implies that all countries follow international law. Instead, he suggests a new world order when his personal opinion is supposed to be a decisive one. Gore thinks that if other countries follow Bush’s example, the power of fear will set in. To dispel this fear, the former vice-president told his followers that he would say in December whether or not he would run for the presidency in 2004.

Republicans have already declared that Gore’s speech proves his weakness. Indeed, Al Gore has been silent for months and his attitude to the campaign against Iraq wasn’t clear at that. He only said that American diplomacy would have to pay too high a price for this war. Now, he gives harsh criticism of Bush’s policy, a rather brave action on his part. If Bush finds success in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, Gore’s ratings are sure to drop considerably. In this case, Americans will hardly be concerned about losses of the rest of the world that usually accompany victories. Only people like Gore care about them. However, it is likely that people will care about them later. Currently, Gore is warning that if the USA wages a war, it will generate “legions of enemies angry with America for its domination of the world.” And if the USA concludes the war with Iraq the same way it did in Afghanistan, it will find itself in a tight corner, even in a more difficult position than now.

The former vice-president called upon the Congress not to endores Bush's campaign against Iraq. Gore thinks that “all possible means” necessary for war that the president currently has should be reduced. He says that the Congress should consider the UN Security Council and gain wide support in the world. And although Al Gore agrees that America has the right to seek revenge for the nearly 3,000 people killed in the terrorist attacks, he makes it clear that a war against Iraq isn’t the best way to do it. Making such statements, Gore is running the risk of finding himself alone. Even Senator Lieberman, who ran for vice-president together with Gore in 2000 doesn’t share his opinion. Lieberman says that he is grateful to Bush for what he is going to do to Iraq and has no reason to question his motives. Other democrats also aren’t that enthusiastic about statements made by Al Gore. At the same time, some people, like Senator Robert Bird, agree with Gore. In Bird’s words, the US president is eager to involve the country in a war partially because of future elections. It is not clear which will start first, the war or the election campaign. Very likely, both of them mean the same for the incumbent US president.